Dear reader, you'll just have to take my word for it that the Vermont Maple Festival, held every April in St. Albans, Vermont, is the most sublime of earthly experiences.   The pictures below of the PANCAKE BREAKFAST and the maple product sale just don't do the whole thing justice.   I try to come every year.  Carole thinks the whole damn thing is kind of lame and doesn't understand why I count down the days, every April, until I'm bouncing up and down with excitement as the last week ticks by.   If you must know, it's mainly because the Maple Festival is really the embodiment of most of the things that make Vermont great.   The sugarhouse tours, the arts and crafts, the parade (which was held on Sunday and we were busy so we didn't go this year), the lame-ass street entertainment, the PANCAKE BREAKFAST, the maple donuts, the maple creemees (soft-serv ice cream, Vermont style), maple coffee, maple this, maple that, and for all I know, maple high colonics if you know the right door to knock on.  It's MAPLERIFFIC!  (Did I mention the PANCAKE BREAKFAST?)

-- Jay Furr                              

Carole waits in line at the PANCAKE BREAKFAST!	Maple syrup!	PANCAKES!	Mmmmm! Yes, that is a small piece of cheddar cheese on my plate. For some reason they always give you cheese at these things. I guess it's a Vermont thing.	Carole poses with the PANCAKE BREAKFAST sign.
Yes, they did misspell "entrance". They misspelled a LOT of words. Our favorite was the repeated misspelling, "SRYUP", in big letters.	Carole tells her mom and dad back home in Ohio was a freakin' good time she's having. You can tell how excited she was here.	Maple rice krispie treat! Carole poses at the maple products sale table. We bought maple syrup, maple candy, maple marinade, maple this, maple that, and if memory serves, even the legendary Maple Cream Spread!	Eat, this is my maple rice krispie treat, given for you!	Jay buys a cup of maple-sweetened coffee and a maple donut from the newly inaugurated Vermont Maple Queen. (We didn't get her name; we just called her Your Highness.)
Excited beyond belief, Carole poses with the maple donut.	Num!	Monch!	Carole looks at the award-winning maple contest entries.	Jay shows off all his purchases!